SFU to Perform at Sydney Opera House

Following their successful 1998 Carnegie Hall concert and recording, the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is working out the details for an April 2001 concert at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia.

The band is also planning to hold concerts in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Melbourne Australia.

Three concerts are planned: April 7 in Christchurch, April 11 at the Sydney Opera House, and April 13 in Melbourne. The band will also compete at the Australian Championships on April 14 and 15.

According to Pipe Sergeant and band general manager Jack Lee, “We enjoyed playing and recording at Carnegie Hall very much
in 1998. After that trip our focus was on trying to regain the World Championship, which we did in 1999. Now the members feel that we would like to do at least one more concert and record a CD at a major venue. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous and spectacular venues in the world. This trip is a huge financial and organizational undertaking, but one that will be a thrill of a lifetime for us.”

The band is also in discussion with various recording companies, including Lismor Digital and Monarch, to record the Sydney concert for a summer release.

In 1998 SFU was the first pipe band ever to play in the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York city, and the ensuing recording was heralded by the Piper & Drummer, among others, as one of the finest ever made by pipe band. The Sydney Opera House concert will also be a first for a pipe band.

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